Warrior Casting

[qos]

I'm taking a poll: which actors (from the 1980's to the present) do you think have been the most convincing in portraying warriors: people who fight and kill other people as a way of life, whether as good guys or bad guys. They look like they have both the physical strength and the mental orientation to engage in deadly force and survive long enough to get good at it. There's usually a ruthless streak in them.

Off the top of my head: Russell Crowe in Gladiator is a standout. I've always found it easy to believe Sean Bean, especially as Sharpe. Chow Yun-Fat has the natural grace and strength, as well as the mental focus. I was willing to believe Uma Thurman in Kill Bill and Michelle Yeoh in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Ken Watanabe in The Last Samurai.

Your thoughts?

Comments

[athenian-abroad.livejournal.com]

Hanks does a terrific job of portraying a true "citizen soldier." He mananages to get across the notion that, in civilian life, he's just an ordinary, perfectly nice, decent, even gentle man. But he has completely dissociated himself from that person to be the soldier he has to be in the time and place he finds himself.

It's a very interesting take. Definitley have a look.

[qos.livejournal.com]

I've always been a bit afraid of watching Ryan. I should probably get over that.

And yes, I recognize the irony of asking questions about movie warriors while admitting to never having seen what is generally acknowledged to be one of the all-time great films about men at war.